The State of Youth in Miami-Dade County

in Events Featured by sbcops — April 7, 2011 at 1:21 pm | 0 comments

In keeping with the commitment as a community advocate, Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust (MDEAT) hosted the first of a series of forums that will cover South, West, and North Dade neighborhoods. The MDEAT Youth Action Committee (YAC) hosted the first forum: The State of Youth in Miami Dade County, on March 22, 2011, at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church. This initiative afforded citizens in South Dade to voice their concerns about how crime and other issues impact their community and specifically the youth.

The Forum was lead by a panel that provided their perspective on criminal justice, education, and employment. The panel consisted of: Chief Charles Hurley, Miami Dade Public Schools Police Department; Valmarie Rhoden, Administrator/ School Operations for Miami Dade County Public Schools; Rick Beasley, Executive Director, South Florida Workforce; Morris Copeland, Director, Juvenile Services Department, Miami Dade County; and Kayla Terrero, Student Attorney Volunteer, Miami-Dade County Teen Court.

The Forum moderator was Edward B. Harris, Director, Special Projects, Office of Community Advocacy, Miami-Dade County. One of the special highlights of the Forum was the attendance of Miami-Dade County Commissioners Lynda Bell, District 8 and Dennis C. Moss, District 9. The Commissioners gained first-hand information from youth and other constituents about the issues they face on a daily basis.

All of the recommended actions that were provided by the community will be compiled and reviewed by lead authorities for implementation.

MDEAT also operates Miami-Dade County Teen Court (M-DCTC), a youth-driven program providing alternative accountability to the juvenile justice system which helps disrupt the beginning stages of criminal behavior. M-DCTC gives youth and their families a second chance, as well as, provides opportunities to serve the Miami-Dade County community.